This is something I have thought about in relation to peace negotiations, which has not been clearly expressed in my writings. When people meet to find a way to agreement and peace, they must do something together that has nothing to do with the conflict. They must of course eat together and talk together, but that is not enough!
If there are male negotiators, they could, for example, bring their wives or a female assistant. They would come up with other types of arguments and see things differently from the men.
But what I want to achieve is to find things to do that the cultures have in common, for example singing and dancing. If there is a common song that is traditional in both countries, as part of the negotiation I would ask them to suggest a song that they think everyone can do. If they even have a common folk dance or something similar, it would be nice to use it. If they have no suggestion, I would teach them a simple song and dance from my own repertoire. Finding a common song that everyone likes could soften the mood and make the parties think differently.
Experiencing joy together would be an important contribution to a good atmosphere, so such activity could actually initiate peace negotiations! Therefore, such activity should be part of the future peace academy.
As part of a negotiation, I would also create a common space in the form of games or informal activity. The purpose of this would be to get to know each other as HUMANS. Find common ground!
We can base the purpose of all this on our own experiences with people in most cultures. If they do not have singing and dancing as part of their culture, a careful approach in this way would be a positive contribution to a good atmosphere between the parties. Don't dismiss it as unthinkable, then! Experiencing innocent joy is an essential part of life itself. I remind you that the driving force of the particles in the atoms is joy! We have it within us at the particle level of ourselves.
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